Maybe you’ve been meaning to try one of them, but can’t keep track of what’s out there.

I’m here to help. Here, in alphabetical order, are 20 places to add to your restaurant “to-do” list.
Though the list consists mostly of newcomers, I’ve included a few restaurants that have changed things in the past year and deserve another visit or a first, if you haven’t been.

CAFE RACER

(Courtesy photo)

The latest in the food-truck to bricks-and-mortar restaurants, Cafe Racer has stepped up its game a notch in its permanent home in Minneapolis’ Seward neighborhood. In addition to the roasted meats, arepas and salads served on the truck, try the spice-infused chicken quarter that positively falls off the bone or the boldly spiced skirt steak.

COLOSSAL CAFE

(Courtesy of Facebook)

Comfort food made from scratch will never go out of style, and Colossal’s third restaurant, opening on
St. Paul’s Grand Avenue just a few weeks ago, proves that. The newest branch has table service and a coffee bar, and the neighbors are already packing the place. Trust us, the flappers (yeasted pancakes) and biscuits and gravy are worth the visit.

COMO DOCKSIDE

(Pioneer Press: John Autey)

The gorgeous pavilion on Lake Como is finally being put to good use with Como Dockside, the new restaurant and bar from the owners of the Amsterdam Bar and Hall and the 331 Club. With their music connections, the stage on the spacious, pillared deck is also getting great use. There’s a full bar, and the cocktails, especially the refreshing coolers, are a must-have while you wait – possibly for quite a while; they’re still figuring out the space – for some tasty New Orleans-inspired grub. More photos

COOK ST. PAUL

(Pioneer Press: Jess Fleming)

This little-diner-that-could has a new chef (Taelyn Lang), and they’re making even more of the menu from scratch. Neighbors and food-lovers alike line up for the innovative breakfast and lunch fare (some with a Korean twist), and owner Eddie Wu’s unflagging hospitality. They are now open for dinner and trivia on Wednesdays, too. More photos

EMMETT’S PUBLIC HOUSE

(Pioneer Press: John Autey)

The owners of Dixie’s on Grand tore out their old banquet space and made it into an Irish pub. The decor is cute enough for drinks with girlfriends, and the somewhat upscale food is the opposite of the bland meat and potatoes most people associate with the Emerald Isle. More photos

All of this is in anticipation of overflow crowds from CHS Field, the new Saints ballpark across the street. But don’t forget about the dining room, where Russo is still serving tastings of hyper-seasonal, ultra-local ingredients prepared with expert precision. More photos

HOLA AREPA

(Pioneer Press: Jess Fleming)

I’m in love with the Venezuelan arepa — a little griddled corn cake, split and filled with roasted meats and/or vegetables — and this food-truck-turned-restaurant serves the best version I’ve tried. Chef Christina Nguyen’s juicy roasted meats and heady, flavorful salsas are the perfect thing on a hot day, especially when paired with any of the tropical cocktails served at the restaurant.

L’ETOILE DU NORD

Cassoulet (Pioneer Press: Jess Fleming)

This tiny cafe in downtown Bayport is turning out fantastic, crisp-bready-crust pizzas with high-quality toppings like pheasant, wild mushrooms and poached eggs. They also have Belgian waffles, creative salads, a croque monsieur for the ages and coffee that in itself is rich and smooth enough to make it worth a road trip. Breakfast and lunch only.

NIGHTHAWKS

(Pioneer Press: Jess Fleming)

Another fine-dining chef goes low brow. And lo, it’s good. Landon Schoenefeld, chef/owner of Haute Dish in Minneapolis’ hot North Loop, has opened the latest restaurant in the increasingly hot Kingfield neighborhood. It’s a pretty straightforward diner, serving the food you wish the diner you grew up with did. Blue-plate specials, a juicy burger and loaded Kramarczuk’s foot-long hot dogs are all worth any wait.

PADDY SHACK

(Pioneer Press file)

It’s good to see St. Paul embracing its Irish heritage, so there’s no shame in having two Irish pubs on our list. Paddy Shack is the new restaurant in Half Time Rec, one of the city’s most beloved dive bars. The restaurant, helmed by James Beard nominee Jack Riebel, is no fancy affair. In fact, the pleather seats are still cracked, and the bathrooms still ramshackle. But the food, including a burger that just won the Twin Cities Burger Battle, is bar food done better. Much better. More photos

REVIVAL

(Pioneer Press: Jess Fleming)

Run, don’t walk, to the new down-home, Southern comfort-food eatery from the owners of Corner Table in Minneapolis. The fried chicken, especially the Tennessee Hot version, is incredible. And each side dish is better than the last one. And they’re serving the best burger in town. There, I said it.

SALT CELLAR

(Pioneer Press: John Autey)

Even if you don’t want to pony up for the expensive — and delicious — Piedmontese steaks served in the dining room, belly up to this pretty bar in the former College of Visual Arts building. The juicy burger and fantastic prime rib sandwich are made from that same beef, and the worth-the-calories fries are fried in house-rendered beef fat. More photos

SPOON AND STABLE

(Pioneer Press file)

The hottest restaurant in town opened this winter. James Beard-winning chef Gavin Kaysen abandoned the New York City dining scene to open Spoon and Stable, because Minnesota is home. The team recently added brunch and will also open for happy hour at 4 p.m. during the summer, so there’s more time to see and be seen.

I recommend sitting at the bar, sharing a smattering of small plates and sipping from the fantastic wine or cocktail list. More photos

SURLY

(Pioneer Press file)

If you haven’t been to this beer mecca on the border of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the time is right. The food in the beer hall is fantastic, and the 1.5-acre beer garden has the capacity to serve several hundred people, at least on the beer front. And Brewer’s Table, the more upscale upstairs restaurant is now open, if you’re the sort that prefers a reservation. More photos

THIRD BIRD

Kim Bartmann in 2008. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

Everyone had been talking about the restaurant that has been under construction in the old Joe’s Garage on Loring Park when Third Bird suddenly popped up in the old Cafe Maude space. Restaurateur Kim Bartmann consulted with chef Steven Brown and wine guru Bill Summerville to create an eclectic, locally sourced fine-dining menu with a fun list of wines by the glass and cocktails that sing. There’s a great view of the park from the bar area, too.

TONGUE IN CHEEK

(Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

This fine-dining beacon on Payne Avenue has found its stride in the almost-year since its opening. There’s plenty to like on the dinner menu, but the happy hour, with its delicious little cocktails and tiny amuse-bouche “teasers” is what keeps me going back. I recently tried the restaurant’s brunch, and my husband and I will definitely be adding the pork-belly hash and shrimp and grits to our morning-date favorites list. More photos

TRAVAIL

(Pioneer Press: Jess Fleming)

You still can’t get reservations at this chef’s playground, but now you can buy a ticket, and isn’t that sort of the same thing? However you want to look at it, endless lines and a required pre-5 p.m. arrival are a thing of the past. The chefs who make the numerous courses that are your only choice when you eat there are still serving the food, and it’s still a great mix of surprising, delicious food and entertain-ment. Pricing varies by night (Wednesdays are cheaper than weekends, for instance), and there are still plenty of seats available in the coming months. Look for a new pop-up restaurant-within-a-restaurant concept to start soon, too. The chef/owners of Travail never sit still for long. More photos

TURF CLUB

(Pioneer Press: Jess Fleming)

The Turf Club is another bar and live-music venue that didn’t used to offer food but has added a kitchen, a trend I fully embrace. The food has a Southern bent – think red beans and rice, crawfish and fried chicken – but there are plenty of old bar-snack favorites, such as poutine, chicken wings and cheese curds to keep the masses happy. More photos

Jess Fleming has been with the Pioneer Press since 1999, and has been covering the Eat beat since 2012. She is an adventurous eater, cook and gardener, but will only grow something she can eat. She is a graduate of the journalism school at the University of Minnesota and a native of Eastern Wisconsin, where she grew up eating good brats, good cheese and fresh vegetables from her dad’s garden.

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